Home Comfort Tactics

Tired of shivering in your Cape Cod house? Looking to get to the bottom of the problem once and for all?

Discover how one homeowner transformed his drafty Cape Cod into a cozy haven. From shocking energy audit revelations to DIY detective work and a successful renovation, this episode is packed with actionable tips for improving your home's comfort and efficiency.

The key to a comfortable home in the winter a...

Discover how Maryland homeowners can tap into thousands of dollars in energy-saving rebates through BGE and Pepco's rebate programs. In this video, Eric Gans from Hometrust Remodeling breaks down how home energy audits, air sealing, insulation, and HVAC upgrades can reduce energy bills while maximizing rebate savings. Learn why common problem areas like attics, rim joists, and recessed lights could be costing you money—and how...

This podcast episode from "Home Comfort Tactics" delves into the story of a homeowner in Rockville, MD, named Alex, who faced a perplexing condensation issue in their new home. Despite numerous consultations with experts, the problem persisted, causing discomfort and energy inefficiency. 

The host, an experienced energy auditor, was approached to help resolve this "Dew Point Dilemma." Through a detailed...

In this episode of Home Comfort Tactics, we dive into the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEEHR) program, a cornerstone of the Inflation Reduction Act to make homes more energy-efficient. We explore how the program's $4.5 billion fund is helping low- and moderate-income households afford crucial upgrades like heat pumps, electric stoves, and insulation through point-of-sale rebates. Through the story of Emily, a si...

What you may find a little different about my approach to explaining the Inflation Reduction Act HOMES Rebate program is that I try remembering when I was a homeowner and a window contractor. I did not know or understand anything about the whole-house approach or how it could change how I think about comfort and energy use in my home. 

When some of the critical concepts started to click for me, I was blown away by it all, and I got ...

Overview of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R. 5376):

Two years ago, the United States government introduced the Inflation Reduction Act, a bold move with a whopping $8.8 billion earmarked specifically for Home Energy Rebates. 
It is a significant investment in Home Energy Rebates and should highlight the importance of getting these improvements made to your home.
I provide you with an introduction of two ma...

I am a Certified Energy Auditor in Maryland.  I have had several revelations over the past several years, and this important one is about replacement windows. I am a contractor and a homeowner who fixates on personal comfort in my living space.

I like to share my experiences with home comfort and remodeling so that you can make decisions that are light years ahead of my own!

Despite my initial belief that replacin...

If you live in Maryland and want to learn more about the insulation R-values you need in the different areas of your home, this video podcast can help. You need to measure insulation through a slightly different lens. Rather than focusing on which insulation is better, achieving the recommended R-value for specific areas of your home's shell is more critical.

There are two essential things to familiarize yourself with...

Getting a home energy audit is one of those things that many do not fully comprehend the benefits of until the assessment is complete. At that time, a well-trained energy consultant will be able to walk you around your home and illuminate issues that you have likely been walking right past for many weeks, months, or in some cases YEARS! Don't wait any longer and empower yourself TODAY to make your home more efficient, sustaina...

Continue your journey to better home comfort with part two of my fall bucket list of things you can do to make your home more comfortable.

I have helped hundreds of Maryland homeowners attain a better quality of life regarding their home comfort.

This podcast's mission is to break through to homeowners and help shape a new way to think about your living space, which can transform your quality of life.

Start your journey to better home comfort with my fall bucket list of things you can do to make your home more comfortable.

I have helped hundreds of Maryland homeowners attain a better quality of life regarding their home comfort.

This podcast's mission is to break through to homeowners and help shape a new way to think about your living space, which can transform your quality of life.

I know becaus...

As an energy auditor, certified through the local Maryland utility, I am responsible to help homeowners figure out solutions for their damp or cold crawl space and explain to them in easy-to-understand ways the benefits of insulating it right.

00:00 How Can this Episode Help?
02:48 Recent Crawl Space Visit
04:52 The Reason this Encapsulated Crawl Space is not Encapsulated

If you would like to learn more ab...

This episode of Home Comfort Tactics shares several exciting and interesting ways you can think about your house as a system.  Chances are that your house will have at least one of the things on the list that might be neglected.  I was once an unsuspecting homeowner (and contractor simultaneously) living in uncomfortable houses and paying for new HVAC to fix the problem. There is much more to comfort and efficiency than new windows...

We learn to get to the root of the problem in grade school, and it can apply to many aspects of our lives including issues around the house that don't get the correct diagnosis and reappear. I used this podcast episode to touch on a few key points related to a recent situation that unfolded between May and June 2023. The homeowner in Rockville Maryland had drywall tape peeling at the turn of the season (colder to warmer), whic...

I will tell you right now - this study proves that you should not replace your windows if you want to make your home more comfortable! This study shows that replacement windows only reduce drafts by 6% compared with other, less expensive retrofit plans, including sealing the attic and other important places like the top of the foundation wall in a basement or crawl space.

I am a former window contractor, and it was excitin...

Performing a home energy audit without proper testing equipment or training is not possible, however every homeowner can look for these five signs to decide if getting a comprehensive home energy audit is worth the investment.

In order to decide if you need a comprehensive home energy audit, it is helpful to have a general idea of it's overall function.

According to the EPA Local Residential Energy Efficiency website, ...

If you just bought a home - congrats! Chances are very high that you got a home inspection during the process, and it has a list of things you need to do to keep it up to "code". But I am willing to bet that the list lacks many essential items to make your home super cozy and energy efficient.

Here is a link to the podcast file: https://residentialcomforttactics.buzzsprout.com

Thank you for watching!